When Luke Strand started college nine years ago, he wanted to earn a marketing degree, a job in the business world, then a house and children.

Now he’s a priest and that’s not all. His brother, Vincent, is on his way to being ordained a Jesuit priest and their youngest brother, Jake, was ordained in the spring.

The family calling is remarkable at a time when fewer men, especially in the U.S., are choosing the Roman Catholic clergy. More than 3,200 of the 17,800 U.S. parishes don’t have resident priests, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. As of last year, the total number of priests in the U.S. had decreased 14 percent from 2000.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

North Carolina's Belmont Abbey College has opened a residence to help pregnant, college-age women continue their education before and after they give birth.

The residence is run by Room at the Inn, a Catholic non-profit that serves pregnant mothers and their children.

“Many young women in college facing unexpected pregnancies believe they have to give up everything to keep their babies - but they don't,” Jeanine Wray, Room At The Inn’s executive director, said July 16.

“Room At The Inn can give these young women the opportunity to continue their educations, have their babies, make a positive impact on society and fulfill their hopes and dreams.”

Friday, July 27, 2012

The following excerpt is from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News. Emphases are mine:

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia delivered an urgent call for Catholics to take action to protect the American tradition of religious freedom, in a July 26 address to the Napa Institute in California.

The archbishop questioned whether America has “crossed the Rubicon” on religious-freedom questions, reaching a point at which political confrontation is inevitable. Without answering the question directly, he challenged the members of his audience to answer for themselves.

Catholics have always shown a deep love for the US, and the hierarchy has supported the country fully, Archbishop Chaput said. “So if the bishops of the United States ever find themselves opposed, in a fundamental way, to the spirit of our country, the fault won’t lie with our bishops. It will lie with political and cultural leaders who turned our country into something it was never meant to be.”

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty announces that its lawsuits challenging the unlawful HHS mandate continue following today’s victory in another lawsuit, Newland v. Sebelius, brought on behalf of a for-profit company in Colorado, whose owners are religious.

In his ruling today, Judge John L. Kane Jr., a senior federal district judge (appointed by President Carter) in Colorado granted a preliminary injunction on behalf of a religious for-profit company challenging the HHS mandate. Granting the preliminary injunction prevents the federal government from applying the HHS mandate against the company.

After being threatened with a lawsuit from the atheist Freedom from Religion Foundation, the city council of Steubenville, Ohio, on Tuesday decided to remove the image of Franciscan University from its town logo.

“We really see this as a crime, because we weren’t included because we were a religious institution,” Michael Hernon, vice president of advancement at Franciscan University, told CNSNews.com.

“We’re included because we’re one of the significant members of the community who are contributing over the last 60, 70 years to the economic and cultural likes of the community.”

In December 2011, the city council of Steubenville decided to revamp its town logo. Along with a silhouette of the Franciscan University chapel and cross, the logo included other Steubenville landmarks such as the Veterans Memorial Bridge and Historic Fort Steuben.

Following a complaint from a Steubenville resident, the Freedom from Religion Foundation—which is based in Madison, Wis.—threatened the city council with a lawsuit if the image of the Franciscan chapel and cross wasn’t removed from the logo.

“The inclusion of a Latin cross on the official city logo violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment,” according to a May 22 letter sent by FFRF to Steubenville Mayor Domenick Mucci and the City Council.

“The City’s inclusion of the chapel and cross, as it was intended, signals an endorsement of ‘faith’ and Christianity,” the letter said.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Today is the eighth and final day of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 9 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Most holy mother of the Virgin Mary, glorious Saint Anne, I, a miserable sinner, confiding in your kindness, choose you today as my special advocate. I offer all my interests to your care and maternal solicitude. O my very good mother and advocate, deign to accept me and to adopt me as your child.

O glorious Saint Anne, I beg you, by the passion of my most loving Jesus, the Son of Mary, your most holy daughter, to assist me in all the necessities both of my body and my soul. Venerable Mother, I beg you to obtain for me the favor I seek in this novena…

(State your intention here.)

…and the grace of leading a life perfectly conformable in all things to the Divine Will. I place my soul in your hands and in those of your kind daughter. I ask for your favor in order that, appearing under your patronage before the Supreme Judge, He may find me worthy of enjoying His Divine Presence in your holy companionship in Heaven.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Today is day eight of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 8 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Remember, O Saint Anne, you whose name signifies grace and mercy, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, good, and kind mother; I take refuge at your feet, burdened with the weight of my sins. O holy mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, despise not my petition…

Monday, July 23, 2012

Today is day seven of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 7 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

O Good Saint Anne, so justly called the mother of the infirm, the cure for
those who suffer from disease, look kindly upon the sick for whom I pray.

Alleviate their sufferings; cause them to sanctify their sufferings by
patience and complete submission to the Divine Will; finally deign to obtain
health for them and with it the firm resolution to honor Jesus, Mary, and
yourself by the faithful performance of duties.

But, merciful Saint Anne, I ask you above all for the salvation of my soul,
rather than bodily health, for I am convinced that this fleeting life is given
us solely to assure us a better one. I cannot obtain that better life without
the help of God's graces. I earnestly beg them of you for the sick and for
myself, especially the petition for which I am making in this novena...

(State your intention here.)

...through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of
His Immaculate Mother, and through your efficacious and powerful mediation, I
pray.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Today is day six of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 6 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Glorious Saint Anne, mother of the Mother of God, I beg your powerful
intercession for the freedom from my sins and the assistance I need in my
troubles...

(State your intention here.)

What can I not hope for if you deign to take me under your protection? The
Most High has been pleased to grant the prayers of sinners, whenever you have
been charitable enough to be their advocate.

Therefore, I beg you to help me in all spiritual and temporal dangers; to
guide me in the true path of Christian perfection, and finally to obtain for me
the grace of a happy death, so that I may contemplate your beloved Jesus and
daughter Mary in your loving companionship throughout all
eternity.

Today is day five of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 5 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Great Saint Anne, how far I am from resembling you. I so easily give way to
impatience and discouragement; and so easily give up praying when God does not
at once answer my request. Prayer is the key to all heavenly treasures and I
cannot pray, because my weak faith and lack of confidence fail me at the
slightest delay. O my powerful protectress, come to my aid, listen to my
petition...

(State your intention here.)

Make my confidence and fervor, supported by the promise of Jesus Christ,
increase as the trial to which God in His goodness subjects me is prolonged,
that I may obtain like you more than I can venture to ask for. In the future I
will remember that I am made for heaven and not for earth; for eternity and not
for time; that consequently I must ask, above all, the salvation of my soul
which is assured to all who pray properly and who persevere in
prayer.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Today is day four of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 4 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Glorious Saint Anne, I kneel in confidence at your feet, for you also have
tasted the bitterness and sorrow of life. My need, the cause of my request,
is...

(State your intention here.)

Good Saint Anne, you who did suffer much during the twenty years that
preceded your glorious maternity, I beseech you, by all your sufferings and
humiliations, to grant my prayer.

I pray to you, through your love for your glorious spouse Saint Joachim,
through your love for your immaculate child, through the joy you did feel at the
moment of her happy birth, not to refuse me. Bless me, bless my family and all
who are dear to me, so that some day we may all be with you in the glory of
heaven, for all eternity.

The traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has declined a Vatican offer for reconciliation, but left the door open for further talks.

The SSPX answer to the Vatican was not a surprise, since Bishop Bernard Fellay, the leader of the traditionalist society, had already said that the group could not accept the conditions of the most recent offer from Rome. But the SSPX statement released on July 19 gave evidence that negotiations would continue.

Read the whole post by clicking the link below, then read the excerpt (and more) that follows in our next blog post:

Today is day three of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 3 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Beloved of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, mother of the Queen of Heaven, take us
and all who are dear to us under your special care. Obtain for us the virtues
you instilled in the heart of her who was destined to become Mother of God, and
the graces with which you were endowed. O model of Christian womanhood, pray
that we may imitate your example in our homes and families, listen to our
petitions,

(State your intention here.)

Guardian of the infancy and childhood of the most Blessed Virgin Mary,
obtain the graces necessary for all who enter the marriage state, that imitating
your virtues they may sanctify their homes and lead the souls entrusted to their
care to eternal glory.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

A Nebraska federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by seven states and several Catholic plaintiffs against the HHS mandate.

Senior US District Judge Warren Urbom ruled that the Catholic plaintiffs lacked standing because they “face no direct and immediate harm” from the mandate, which will not go into effect for most religious organizations until August 1, 2013. The judge also said that the states’ argument that the mandate would increase state expenditures was “based on layers of conjecture.”

Today is day two of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 2 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Glorious Saint Anne, how can you be otherwise than overflowing with
tenderness toward sinners like myself, since you are the grandmother of Him who
shed His blood for us, and the mother of her whom the saints call advocate of
sinners? To you, therefore, I address my prayers with confidence.

Vouchsafe to commend me to Jesus and Mary so that, at your request, I may
be granted remission of my sins, perseverance, the love of God, charity for all
mankind, and the special grace of...

(State your intention here.)

...for which I stand in need at the present time. O most powerful
protectress, let me not lose my soul, but pray for me that through the merits of
Jesus Christ and the intercession of Mary, I may have the great happiness of
seeing them, of loving and praising them with you through all
eternity.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Today is day one of the Saint Anne Novena. You may join with us, and the thousands of other faithful from around the world in praying this novena at Pray More Novena's. You can go here to see the prayer intentions of those joining in praying this novena.

Saint Anne is the mother of Our Lady and grandmother of Jesus, and she is a very powerful intercessor.

Below is the prayer for today:

Day 1 - Saint Anne Novena Prayers

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with
love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel
at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special
protection...

(State your intention here.)

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face
to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praising Him
through all eternity.

Amen

Great Saint Anne, engrave indelibly on my heart and in my mind the words
that have reclaimed and sanctified so many sinners:

"What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his own
soul?" May this be the principle fruit of these prayers by which I will strive
to honor you during this novena.

At your feet renew my resolution to invoke you daily, not only for the
success of my temporal affairs and to be preserved from sickness and suffering,
but above all, that I may be preserved from all sin, that I may gain eternal
salvation and that I will receive the special grace of...

(State your intention here.)

O most powerful Saint Anne, do not let me lose my soul, but obtain for me
the grace of heaven, there with you, your blessed spouse, and your glorious
daughter, to sing the praise of the Most Holy and Adorable Trinity forever and
ever.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

The following excerpts are from an article by Michale Youssef on Townhall.com:

Episcopalian leaders continue to guide their denomination into the abyss—and no doubt, the Presbyterians (PCUSA) will soon follow.

As reported in the Huffington Post, the Episcopal denomination’s General Convention voted this week to make it illegal to “discriminate against anyone.” Specifically, that means it is now illegal to “. . . bar from the priesthood people who were born into one gender and live as another or who do not identify themselves as male or female.”

Readers of my columns and other pieces may remember my prediction that this fast train into the pit would not stop just with practicing homosexuals. It will inevitably lead all the way to pedophilia.

I cannot help but think of Jesus’ words: “Wide is the gate that leads to destruction.” Those words became poignant when I read the jubilant quote, from one of the Episcopal leaders:

A mother in Spain has died who postponed her cancer treatments in order to save the life of her unborn baby. As EWTN reports, Barbara Castro Garcia, a journalist who worked for the Diocese of Cordoba in Spain, died on July 4.

Barbara’s husband, Ignacio Cabezas, talked with the Spanish daily La Gaceta and said Garcia gave her life for her baby girl out of love “for her daughter, for me and for God,” and he hopes people now will “honor her as she deserves.”

If tea is more to your liking, then you'll love their Iced Tea Blend. This is a blend of black tea, black currant leaves and fruit flavor. Each bag makes a full gallon of tea for you to enjoy and share.

So go take a look at these and other great coffee and tea from Mystic Monk Coffee.

The following excerpts are from an article by Matthew Archbold on National Catholic Register:

An overzealous tambourine player was tazed and pepper sprayed at a church service last week. Seriously.

Now, how many of you just said out loud, "That's terrible" while your inner rad-trad giggled at that headline like a 14 year old girl at a One Direction concert? Come on. There's a reason you clicked on the link and it wasn't to donate to the "Don't taze me bro" recovery fund.

The following excerpts are from an article by Celeste McGovern on National Catholic Register:

LONDON — A banned in vitro fertilization technology that uses two women and one man to create embryos could soon be legalized following an endorsement from a group of six British ethicists.

A working group of the London-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics issued a report in June stating that it would be “ethical” for scientists to mingle genetic material from three people in order for some couples to have their own genetic offspring without passing on a rare, heritable form of mitochondrial disease that can be “severe and debilitating.”

Critics of the controversial report call it “Frankenstein” technology that uses “emotional blackmail” — sad but uncommon circumstances — to justify technologies that will inevitably lead to genetic engineering — tampering with the human genome to “enhance” and select for certain characteristics that will be passed from generation to generation.

As well, there is a growing body of evidence that the same IVF technology used to avoid disease is itself a cause: Children born using IVF techniques to have significantly higher rates of birth defects.

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Hundreds of thousands of people could lose Internet service on Monday when the FBI shuts down servers from an online fraud ring that allegedly planted a virus among computer users.

The FBI says about 252,000 computers worldwide could be affected and that about 45,000 of those computers are in the United States.

Users can check whether their computer is infected with the malicious software — often called malware — by visiting dcwg.org, a site run in cooperation with the FBI, or by visiting an anti-virus site such as McAfee.

Note: This will happen on Monday, July 09, and is not limited to only the United States!

Friday, July 06, 2012

I installed a new hard drive about 3 weeks or so ago, and reinstalled the operating system, but....alas, poor Compaq.....I knew it well.

Anyway, it is essentially on life support as I type this. How much longer it will last, I am not sure, but I don't think it will be too much longer. It has more wrong with it than is worth repairing.

So, tomorrow, my day off from work will be spent scheduling as many posts for the Daily Mass Readings blog as I possibly can. If it survives, and allows me to, I will also schedule as many posts for the Saint Quote of the Day blog too.

So, please keep me in your prayers, and if you can, please make a donation by clicking the "Donate" button on the upper right sidebar of the blog. It will help me with my living expenses, and hopefully enable me to buy a new computer so I can keep the Faith of the Fathers blogs all up and running.

And just for those who have wondered, my internet service is free, as my landlady allows me to connect to her ISP wirelessly.

Also, if anyone has any information about assistance for individuals needing cataract surgery in North Carolina, I would greatly appreciate it if you would pass any information my way. You can email me at faithofthefathers@gmail.com

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

Yad Vashem, the Israeli memorial to Holocaust victims, has changed its description of Pope Pius XII, acknowledging the work of historians who have demonstrated the wartime Pontiff’s efforts to save Jews from the Nazi genocide

A panel at Yad Vashem, which had been devoted to criticism of Pius XII, has been replaced by a new panel that notes “a more complex picture than previously presented.” The memorial still says that Pope Pius XII failed to offer any public condemnation of the Nazi bid to exterminate the world’s Jews.

Sunday, July 01, 2012

"We cannot separate the fruits of faith from faith itself." July 1, 2012, homily of the Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte, N.C. Topic: Fortnight for Freedom. Proclaimed at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Charlotte.

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming offer a great selection of coffee's and tea's to suit all palates. Did you know however, that they offer much more than just great coffee and tea?

For starters, they offer a CD of their Gregorian Chants entitled "Mystical Chants of Carmel" that they describe as: "The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming bring you their incredible CD of beautiful Gregorian Chants. This CD is selling thousands across the United States and is praised for the monks' peacefully refined style and obvious love of chant. Nearly an hour of the best chants in honor of the Mother of God."

They also have an assortment of coffee accessories from bag clips to travel mugs to Mystic Monk Tee Shirts!